XOLOS COME UP BIG TO PULL AWAY IN CRAMPED PETCO PARK

The problem with the lack of scoring in soccer games at Petco Park wasn’t that the field was too short wedged into a baseball stadium.

Apparently it was too long.

The Padres somehow configured an even smaller field — a preposterous 95 yards from goal to goal — for Saturday’s friendly between the Tijuana Xolos and Mexico City’s Club America, and they got a goleada, which roughly translated from Spanish means that one team took the other behind the woodshed.

There were zero goals in the first 180 minutes of soccer at Petco Park, a pair of scoreless ties in 2005 and 2010. Saturday night, the Xolos led 3-0 by the 20th minute, 4-0 at halftime and 5-0 early in the second half before beating the reigning Liga MX champions 5-2.

An equally impressive number was this: 28,759.

That was the announced crowd in 42,445-seat Petco Park for a preseason game in which the Xolos were missing five projected starters and America had five players summoned to the Mexican national team for the Gold Cup. It speaks to the novelty — and perhaps cultural statement — of playing futbol in the home of America’s pastime, and to the increasing pull of a 7-year-old team from Tijuana on this side of the border.

The result might not have been welcome for America, Mexico’s richest club, but the festive atmosphere certainly was. On Wednesday, America faced rival Chivas of Guadalajara in a (not so) friendly in Las Vegas that was abandoned prematurely after a pitch invasion by fans, and that was after the four red cards and the pre-game brawl in the parking lot that required the intervention of police and ambulances.

In the other two soccer games here, the field was aligned from home plate down the right-field line and at 100 yards long was a good 15 to 20 shorter than international standards. It also forced the removal of the mound, which didn’t sit well in 2010 with a Padres pitching staff in the midst of a pennant race. (Closer Heath Bell called it “asinine.”)

This time, the field ran across the outfield and was 95 by 68 yards. Only a small area around second base and the warning track needed to be sodded, and the pitching mound remained untouched. The Xolos had suggested turning the field slightly to lengthen it, but that would require more infield sod and the Padres — who play here Monday night — declined.

So 95 yards it was. Goal kicks became shots.

But the theory that 22 players stuffed into roughly 20 percent less space would mean 100 percent fewer goals was quickly debunked. Pablo Aguilar scored the first goal in the nine-year history of Petco Park when he headed in Diego Olsina’s free kick in the 12th minute.

America kicked off, Tijuana got the ball back, and seconds later Fidel Martinez headed in Richard Ruiz’s cross from the right side — 2-nil.

Olsina and Puebla transfer Emmanuel Cerda made it 4-0 at halftime in the debut of coach Jorge Almiron. Tijuana’s fifth goal came nine minutes into the second half from Paul Arriola, a speedy 17-year-old forward from Chula Vista who played on the U.S. under-17 World Cup team in 2011 and signed a pro contract with the Xolos in May.

The night also marked the debut of Dario Benedetto, the 23-year-old forward from Argentina bought to replace leading scorer Duvier Riascos after his transfer to Pachuca. Benedetto was a second-half sub and didn’t score, but he didn’t need to.

Even two second-half goals by Luis Gabriel Rey weren’t nearly enough for America.